Air curtain



June 27, 1967 5 BBBBB NT 3,327,935

AAAAAAAA IN 22 a I 1 8 INVENTOR Q0 Sigmund E BERLANT 'FH BY 7 ATTORNEY AIR CURTAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31, 1965 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,327,935 AIR CURTAIN Sigmund F. Berlant, 2400 NW. 75th St., Miami, Fla. 33147 Filed Aug. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 483,911 4 Claims. 01. 230-129 ABSTRACT THE DISCLOSURE An air curtain device having a housing with a plurality of blowers, and changeable air inlet vanes for regulation of the air supply, the blowers discharging into a plenum chamber.

This invention pertains to air curtain devices, and to an air curtain device of improved constructionhavin g a variable volumetric capacity adapting it for utilization in environments requiring seasonal or other change in the output of air from the device.

A basic objective of the present invention resides in the provision of an air curtain having variable air intake means whereby volumetric air flow may be varied after installation of the device to adapt it for use in environments wherein the desired volume of output is subject to variation. Another objective of the invention, and one related to the foregoing, is that of supplying a variable volume air curtain wherein uniformity of output throughout the full width of the curtain is maintained through the range of selected volume.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an air curtain wherein the air inlet means is adjustable to introduce air directly over individual blower units thereof, whereby the units are cooled by air movement and whereby air flow to the intake means of the individual blower units is adjustable to attain the maximum efliciency of the devices in so far as static pressures are concerned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air curtain of minimum bulk, and one which is of pleasing appearance.

A further object resides in the provision of an air curtain wherein component elements are so arranged as to minimize the deflection of air moved from the individual blower units to the nozzle outlet thereof whereby air flow is channeled with a minimum loss in velocity.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification, when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an air curtain constructed and assembled in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is another perspective view, partially disassembled, thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the sectional line 33 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a foreshortened sectional view, taken substantially on the sectional line 44 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, detail sectional view of the air intake means hereof, as viewed from the rear.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates a typical environment of use of the device hereof. Partially shown in that view is a section of Wall 12 having a door opening 14 therein. The device 10, as shown, is arranged over the opening 14, and is of a width at least equal to, and preferably greater than, the opening.

The device 10 comprises a housing 16 which includes a substantially rectangular back wall 18 having an inturned top flange 20 and having upstanding mounting brackets 22 arranged on either side thereof for connection of the lCC device to the wall 12. Opposite side walls 24 extend from the ends of the back wall, each having an inward flange 26, and the side walls are connected at their lower ends by a bottom wall 28 having a front flange 30 (FIGURE 3). The housing 16 further includes a forward wall 32 with a peripheral connection rim 34 for securing it to the side and bottom walls. The forward wall has a plurality of laterally spaced series of openings 36 therein adjacent its ends, with outwardly struck louvers 38 to admit a supply of ambient air in a downwardly directed stream against the bottom wall, for a purpose appearing below.

The housing further comprises a top wall 40 constituting an important feature hereof. The wall 40 comprises a generally rectangular rim 42 connected to the flanges 20 and 26 and to the rim 34. The rim 42 has an inner edge 44 from which an interior continuous flange '46 depends. Flange 46 extends into the housing, and includes sides 48 and ends 50. The sides 48 have a plurality of co-aligned pairs of openings 52 of circular form formed therein to receive the squared ends 54 of a like plurality of vanes 56. The vanes 56 are generally of ellipsoidal section, and the ends are centrally arranged whereby the vanes may be positioned in such manner as to control the location and quantity of air intake through the top wall. Since this is the main air intake source for the device, this in turn controls the volume of air output to some extent. That is, movement of the vanes to vertical positions increases the air intake, while movement of the vanes to a position wherein their general flatwise extent is substantially horizontal restricts air intake. In FIGURE 4, the vanes are shown in alternate positions, and are arranged such as to provide a cooling air flow over the motors described below.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, the outer face of each rim side 48 has a wire 58 held in place by a struck tab 60 at each end thereof. The wire 58 is of sinusoidal form and extends alternatively about the ends 54 whereby rotational movement of the vanes is restricted to a desired extent.

A slanted interior wall 62 is secured by bolt means 64 in angular position between the back wall 18 and bottom wall 28 of the housing. The wall 62 has a plurality of enlarged, substantially rectangular apertures 66 formed therein at spaced apart locations. The series of blower units 68 are mounted on the slant wall 62, the units 68 each including a casing 70 with an air discharge orifice 72 arranged over one of the apertures 66. Casings 70 are secured to the wall -by mounting rims 74 aifixed thereto by bolt means 76. The blower includes a motor 78 connected to a power source (not shown) to a common wire 80, and are otherwise conventional.

The bottom, back and side walls of the housing each have extended portions 82, 84 and 86 forming a discharge nozzle 88 extending substantially the full width of the housing. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, air from the blower is expelled through said nozzle. The slant wall 62, with the adjacent sections of the side, bottom and back walls, forms a plenum chamber 90 immediately above the nozzle 88. In this chamber, the arrangement of the slant wall with the blowers mounted thereon is such as to provide a uniform discharge stream. Further, the angularity of this wall, and the provision of a section 92 of the extended portion 82 of the bottom wall (FIGURE 3) reduces to a minimum the impingement of the stream during expulsion, thereby avoiding undesired reduction in slow velocity.

The plenum chamber 90 of the housing 16 is of a particular arrangement with respect to the blowers. More particularly, the arrangement is such as to reduce the turbulence in the plenum chamber, thereby permitting smaller motors of reduced power in comparison to con ventional devices to be employed. In this connection, the

purpose of the plenum chamber is to permit movement of air with a minimum of restriction or deflection of flow. Thus, the optimum point of air restriction has been found to be not less than a distance of four to five outlet diameters away from the blower outlet. In the present arrangement, air from the blowers is rotated away from the blower outlets in a radius greater than that of the individual blower wheels. The air, by reason of the wall arrangement, is gradually restricted at a point four to five diameters from the blower outlets. The air fiow from the blowers is gradually restricted and not placed in a state of turbulence.

Having described and illustrated an embodiment of this invention in some detail, it will be understood that this description and illustration are offered only by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited in scope solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An air curtain device comprising:

a housing having forward, back, side and bottom walls, and having a top wall;

the top wall having spaced-apart means thereon to support a series of vanes, the vanes being rotatable in said means, individually, to selectively open and close off the entrance of ambient air into the housing from the top;

the forward wall having openings formed therein at selected locations;

a slanted interior wall secured between the back wall and the bottom wall, and having a plurality of apertures therein;

a plurality of blower units, each including a casing secured to the interior wall, the units each having a discharge orifice mounted over the apertures of the interior wall, respectively;

the bottom wall, the back wall and the side walls of the housing having extended portions spaced from one another forming a discharge nozzle; and

the interior wall, bottom and back walls forming a plenum chamber for air discharged from the blower units for substantially uniform expulsion through the discharge nozzle.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the device is secured to a Wall structure adjacent and above a doorway opening therein, with the discharge arranged to direct a stream of air over the opening.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the housing back wall has mounting bracket means secured thereto.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the blower units are uniformly spaced within the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,907,160 5/1933 Schauman 230-129 2,337,325 12/1943 Hach et a1. 230129 2,373,497 4/1945 Paiste 230129 2,825,500 3/1958 McLean 230129 2,827,844 3/1958 Weir 9836 2,984,089 5/1961 Whi'tesel 230117 3,145,641 8/1964 Morrison 230-129 3,182,899 5/1965 Hames et al. 230117 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Examiner. 

1. AN AIR CURTAIN DEVICE COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING FORWARD, BACK, SIDE AND BOTTOM WALLS, AND HAVING A TOP WALL; THE TOP WALL HAVING SPACED-APART MEANS THEREON TO SUPPORT A SERIES OF VANES, THE VANES BEING ROTATABLE IN SAID MEANS, INDIVIDUALLY, TO SELECTIVELY OPEN AND CLOSE OFF THE ENTRANCE OF AMBIENT AIR INTO THE HOUSING FROM THE TOP; THE FORWARD WALL HAVING OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN AT SELECTED LOCATIONS; A SLANTED INTERIOR WALL SECURED BETWEEN THE BACK WALL AND THE BOTTOM WALL, AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES THEREIN; A PLURALITY OF BLOWER UNITS, EACH INCLUDING A CASING SECURED TO THE INTERIOR WALL, THE UNITS EACH HAVING A DISCHARGE ORIFICE MOUNTED OVER THE APERTURES OF THE INTERIOR WALL, RESPECTIVELY; THE BOTTOM WALL, THE BACK WALL AND THE SIDE WALLS OF THE HOUSING HAVING EXTENDED PORTIONS SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER FORMING A DISCHARGE NOZZLE; AND THE INTERIOR WALL, BOTTOM AND BACK WALLS FORMING A PLENUM CHAMBER FOR AIR DISCHARGED FROM THE BLOWER UNITS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM EXPULSION THROUGH THE DISCHARGE NOZZLE. 